Save Your Vision Month

There’s more to it than simply not being able to see the board; poor vision in the classroom can hurt kids’ development and scholastic performance, but the solution can be right in front of their eyes.

One in five preschoolers in the United States have vision problems, and by the time they enter school one in four will need or wear corrective lenses. So much development occurs during the first six years of a child’s life-a critical development period when children are most susceptible to vision changes-that unaddressed vision problems can hold children back, taking a toll on academic achievement, studies say.

With each level of educational attainment, children face increasing demands on their vision, from board work and computer usage to an ever-increasing reliance on reading skills. Should poor vision hinder learning, the classroom can become a stressful and frustrating place. Often, children can’t express why.